Whats the typical amount of days of a month i could expect and are they sprinkled throughout the month or can you get it in blocks?
What service offers the best interview prep? (have never done a group execise)

The minimum days off is either 8 or 9 per month, can't remember exactly but that's close enough. As a line pilot you'll get pretty much that in the summer and more than that in the winter to give you your contracted days off per year. The spread of the days off is mixed, usually 2 or 3 consecutive days off in the summer, maybe more occasionally in the winter. You can pre-book 3 request days off a month unless you work a flexible roster with a fixed pattern.

Yes I think the minimum is now 9 but through this summer I've been getting about 12.

Also a duty rest period or whatever they're called after a late or series of lates is essentially a day off but not counted towards your days off.

Airbus Deliveries
 

With regards to the airbus order and deliveries does anyone have any insight as to when they are scheduled to arrive and to which bases they will be assigned?

Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and then the rest of the bases, they slowly arrive over the next 18 months and then 2 a month into infinity after that.

Is there any chance of EDI if you fly the 737 as an FO, or is this looking less likely now the Airbus is going to be placed there? Would be great not to have to commute again.

Thanks

Does anyone have details on the bond for NTR FOs? What’s the value of it, over what period, and does it reduce over that period?

So, I've been rejected twice in a year now without an assessment. A320 TRd skipper with 7,000 total and 2,000 PIC. My choice of bases has been STN, BHX and MAN. I know guys applying and interviewing in the space of a month. Is there something undesirable on my CV perhaps? Anyone know what it might be or had a similar experience? I'm a Brit with a UK license and have worked for a similar operator in the past, last 5 years has seen me work for more airlines than I would've liked, so the CV is a bit "jumpy" but hardly my fault?

Sounds like your cards marked- have you upset someone? I’d take the hint and move on

I know that Jet2 are a somewhat of a boys club , close nit etc…

They really aren't.

That does seem strange as J2 are absolutely desperate for Airbus rated guys. I wouldn't of thought that working for a few airlines would be an automatic rejection. But I don't know for sure

Could there be another reason?

Have you enthused about, or mentioned being active within BALPA in your applications?
BALPA may be recognised within Jet2 but the company is very hostile towards it.

Nope, nothing about Balpa. Other stuff maybe.

Anyone able to share some information on the ability assessments, and video interview for Jet2 Apprentice Scheme? :)

There's a lot of info in the pilot apprentice thread on here. Have you been contacted to complete these for the latest recruitment round?

Not at the moment. Just want to prep for if I'm lucky.

How long have people been swimming on average? rated and current DEC

How long you swim can depend on your requirements as well as Jet2's. If you want a specific base rather than relocating and joining a transfer list, you might have to wait until space becomes available. Don't forget, you'll also be behind others who have already joined at a non-preferred base and put themselves on the transfer list.

Either way, expansion will continue over the next 7 years due to orders, so no panic. Just my opinion of course!

I interviewed in Nov, got a call in Dec for start date in March. But it clashes with existing leave and booked holiday, which they knew about so I said ideally I’d like a May/June start and they didn’t seem to have any problem with that.

Thanks for the reply. Interesting as interviewed in October with sim the next day.Got a call the following day saying I met the benchmark but then radio silence ever since.

Yes I think they are slowly getting it together. I understand they’re getting 2-4 Airbus deliveries per month from Jan24 so I expect things will start to move fairly soon.

My call was for BHX base, not sure if MAN is any different. Understand EDI are getting Busses this year also.

Latest we've been told is 6 additional Airbus this year.
2025 is when the Airbus start to got to EDI.
Lots of deliveries from 2025.
Obviously subject to change

thanks for the info

And was that for Direct entry Captain? I know FOs getting called quickly but specifically interested in wait times for skippers. BHX my first choice of base as coming from down south.

yep DEC for me

I've seen above that 'year round' pilot recruitment is happening - but does anyone know what periods of the year I could expect to start an intake if successful?

I'd be non type rated, ex military, about 1500 hrs on multi engine, medium weight. Hoping for Manchester, Leeds, maybe Liverpool regardless of type if that info helps.

I have to give a years notice in current job so knowing periods when intakes are /aren't happening would be really helpful!

A year's notice? You wont be joining Jet2 straight from leaving your current employer if you need a year notice then. You best get used to being able to get at least 3 months notice of a start date. During the interview process they might ask you "when could you start", if you answer "my notice is currently a year", they wont hire you. Might want to investigate how you can leave your current employer within less than a year.

There’s an available route for joining Jet2 from the RAF, despite the notice period. I’m not sure of the eligibility criteria, but I’m sure the recruitment team would have an idea. It may be a case of the poster in question needing more hours or more service though?

Any idea on the Command Upgrade time for new joiners on the Airbus fleet?

I was under the assumption he wasn't still in active service, as he said "ex-military' but now you mention it, the 1 year notice does seem possible for military.

Just to clarify, I'm current in the military - and haven't done 20 years service so am not eligible for the Managed Pathway scheme. I'll have to apply directly for non type rated first officer.

I'm eligible to hand my notice in from July 2024, which would make me available to work from July 2025. However I can delay the notice to any point, but it will still be a year.

Hopefully Jet2 will let me apply with a long notice period, but if not, it would be really useful to know when during the year Jet 2 do their new pilot course dates- this will allow me to plan handing in my notice. In an ideal world I'd want to start a course September 2026, but I'm not sure if they only start intakes at certain times of the year.

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Currently I am pretty sure they are running an Airbus course every month for rated pilots, not sure of the numbers on the courses. By September 2026 this could still be the case as by then the NEOs should be arriving at a rate of two per month. As a guess assuming you join in September 2026 there should still be 60+ airframes to be delivered, more if the options are taken up. No airline I have ever worked for has 'set' dates for intakes, courses are programmed to meet a commercial requirement.

I'm not sure of the current holding pool expiry date, but I guess it's one year from interview. If that's the case, you might need to delay your interview until AFTER you've started serving your notice, so that you're still in the pool upon leaving the military. The recruitment team would know more, but I think they're probably too busy to answer individual emails. The big push at the moment is for rated A321 pilots, or those requiring a short course from 330s. Non-rated means you're likely to get on to the 737 if you're flexible with basing.

Either way, hope you find out what you need.

Thanks for the info guys, much appreciated! Current train of thought is to just put the notice in, and apply about 6-8 months out from my expected availability. If I end up in a hold pool, I'll try and find some other work to tide me over until a start date is offered.

Final related question, is Jet2 likely to be picky about how recent the last flight was? I've got the start of a plan to do some travelling for 2-4 months between RAF and starting, just wondering if that's a non-starters as I'll likely be out of a cockpit for 5 months before starting with an airline.

My coursemate’s last flight was early 2020. I dun think last flight is gonna be a problem.

Yep, also know several colleagues that joined last year that hadn’t flown for about 24 months due to Covid redundancies. You’d be competing a full type rating course in any case. Best of luck!

Plenty of jobs about and most airlines don’t seem concerned about the covid hiatus . A lot of colleagues haven’t flown since early 2020.

Hi there, just wondering if anyone who has recently entered the holdpool could give a rough indication on how long it took to receive a contract/start date? NTR and flexible with base.

Upcoming March assessment & Sim
 

Hi, I was just looking for any gen on the assessment day and the sim profile if you have. Got my assessment on the bus for TR 320.

cheers